How Writers Can Attract More Readers by Using Design Thinking Principles
Used in both professional and personal pursuits, Design Thinking is a valuable tool to integrate into our writing practice.
I’ve written extensively about Design Thinking as a certified practitioner, led workshops for commercial clients solving complex problems at the enterprise level, taught the subject at technical colleges, and presented at industry and academic conferences since its inception. My work was even humbly rated as one of the top 10 thought leaders globally in the field.
So, I’ve been spreading the word about Design Thinking through my writing, teaching, and speaking engagements. My goal is to empower my audience to use this innovative approach and its toolkit, even if they’re not in the tech field. Design Thinking can be used in any discipline, including content development and marketing, which I cover in this article.
Using design thinking in my writing, both essays and stories, brought me many benefits. The practical use of design thinking made my writing more engaging, relevant, memorable, persuasive, citable, and shareable. In addition to my scientific and technological work, this approach also made me a better problem-solver and creative thinker for content development.
My friends and colleagues tease me as “a Design Thinking fairy godfather, sprinkling magic dust on everyone.” This humorous nickname inspires me to pass along my tacit knowledge and experiences to my readers so they can benefit from them, too.
This article aims to show how writers can delight their subscribers and attract more readers using Design Thinking principles in essays, blog posts, books, or personal stories on any writing platform.
Without going into technical and theoretical details, first, I provide a brief overview of the process and its value for writers, then provide five practical steps to use the model in your writing practice.
What is Design Thinking, and what can it do for writers?
Usually, techies, engineers, and makers of things use Design Thinking, but content developers like writers, bloggers, and authors can jump on the bandwagon using its universal principles.
Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that involves understanding the needs and desires of your readers, empathizing with them, brainstorming creative solutions, and testing and iterating on your ideas.
Design Thinking is a powerful tool that can help writers create more engaging, relevant, and persuasive content. Let me give you an analogy to help you understand Design Thinking better.
Imagine you’re a chef who wants to create a new dish that will wow your customers. You start by understanding your customers’ tastes and preferences by conversing with them and observing their behavior.
Then, you brainstorm a bunch of different recipes. You test out different ingredients and cooking techniques. And finally, you iterate on your recipes until you find a satisfying solution.
Design Thinking is a similar process. You start by understanding your readers’ needs and desires. Then, you brainstorm a bunch of different writing ideas. You test out different writing styles and techniques. And finally, you iterate on your writing until you find a presentable way to communicate your message.
Practical Steps on Using Design Thinking Principles to Write Better Content and Attract More Readers
By melding empathy, problem-solving, creativity, user validation, and continuous refinement, you pave the way for impactful content and an educational journey that genuinely uplifts and empowers your readers.
Step 1 — Empathize with your readers.
We need to understand our audience and connect deeply with our readers. You may start by uncovering the challenges, aspirations, and knowledge they crave. This insight forms your foundation for crafting content that resonates profoundly.
You may ask powerful questions to understand their pain points. What are their pain points, and what are they struggling with? What do they want to learn or achieve? The more you understand your readers, the better equipped you’ll be to write content that speaks to them.
For instance, imagine you’re writing about fitness. Understand if your readers struggle with time management for workouts, seek motivation, or lack understanding about proper exercises.
Step 2 — Define and describe the problems.
We need to identify the core issues. With a keen understanding of our audience, we can pinpoint the core issue they’re grappling with. So start with defining what they’re striving for and the hurdles obstructing their path. This clarity shapes the direction of our content.
Once you understand your readers well, you can start to define and describe the problems you want to solve. You may ask what they are trying to achieve and what are the obstacles in their way.
In the health and fitness context, you identify whether your readers aim for weight loss, muscle gain, or overall well-being. Identify if misinformation, busy schedules, or self-doubt hold them back.
Step 3 — Unleash the creativity by brainstorming solutions.
In this step, we need to get creative. You can brainstorm as many possible solutions to the problem as you can. Don’t worry about perfection at this stage. You may just let your imagination run wild without judgment. Don’t fear failure, as there is no such thing. A failure is just a lesson learned.
You can unleash your creativity by immersing yourself in multiple brainstorming sessions. You can envision a spectrum of solutions to the problem you’ve identified. In this step, quantity matters more than quality.
Thinking of health and fitness solutions as an example, you may brainstorm options like time-efficient workouts, habit-building techniques, nutrition guides, or virtual workout groups for motivation.
Step 4 — Prototype and test your ideas.
Once we have a few ideas, we can start prototyping, testing, and validating them. This will help us get feedback from our readers and refine our ideas.
You can construct prototypes of potential solutions from the pool of ideas you created in the brainstorming phase. These can be in the form of draft articles, guides, or interactive tools.
You can present these to your pilot audience and gather their insights for refinement. For book authors, the pilot audience can be beta readers.
For example, you can create sample workout routines, meal plans, or motivational content on health and fitness topics. You may share these prototypes with your selected group of readers to gauge their response and uncover areas for improvement.
Step 5 — Iterate and improve progressively.
The Design Thinking process is iterative based on agile principles, meaning you’ll need to keep iterating and improving your ideas until you find better solutions for your readers. You can enhance your content quality through multiple iterations, pragmatically refraining from perfection.
It is essential to recognize that desired quality evolves through cycles of revision. You may tweak, refine, and amplify your solutions based on feedback until you’ve honed in on the most effective approach.
Continuing with the health fitness example, you may refine your content based on the feedback received from your audience, like adapting workouts based on user experiences, clarifying nutritional information, and enhancing motivational elements.
Conclusions and takeaways
In a nutshell, Design Thinking is the writer’s secret weapon for problem-solving and creating exceptional content that genuinely connects with your readers.
Think of it as your backstage pass to understanding your audience’s dreams and desires, enabling you to craft content that feels tailor-made for them.
Just like a detective on a mission, you’re seeking the best way to captivate your readers’ attention and deliver an experience that leaves them saying, “Wow, this was written just for me!”
This concept isn’t reserved for techies and engineers — writers can embrace it, too. It’s about putting yourself in your readers' shoes, whether they’re leaders, tech enthusiasts, artists, or anyone else.
By diving into their minds and grasping what makes them tick, you can create content that truly resonates. But it’s not just about writing; it’s about problem-solving too. Design Thinking helps you handle challenges that crop up during your creative process, making your writing smooth and impactful.
As a word wizard armed with Design Thinking skills, you’re not just weaving words — you’re conjuring up an experience for your readers.
This toolkit empowers you to question, brainstorm, test, and refine to create content that’s like a custom-made spell, leaving your readers feeling valued and engaged.
Harness the might of storytelling to forge connections and infuse relatability into your content. Employ personal tales, real-world examples, and even fictional narratives to give life to your concepts.
Authenticity reigns supreme. Your readers possess a keen radar for genuineness. Embrace your unique voice and pen your thoughts as you naturally would.
Embrace brevity. In a world brimming with busyness, cut to the chase swiftly. Respect your readers’ time by delivering succinctly.
Refine through proofreading and self-editing. Typos and grammar glitches undermine your professionalism. Before sharing, invest time in meticulously reviewing and refining your work. You may use a comprehensive checklist I created for content developers.
Adhering to these pointers, you can seamlessly integrate Design Thinking principles into your writing, culminating in content that captivates and attracts a growing readership. This approach also allows you to write content to generate steady income.
So, remember, next time you’re crafting your masterpiece, you’re not just writing — you’re using Design Thinking principles to be an inspiring, engaging, and educative author, empowering and delighting your readers.
If you want to be a certified Design Thinking professional, you might find many online courses and resources. Once you gain the skills, you may get assessed by independent organizations like Credly and Thinkers360 and add the digital badges you gain to your CVs.
Registering with the essential services of Pherson’s Credly and Thinkers360 is free. Thinkers 360 has a proprietary algorithm to rate the impact of content developers. Credly only displays verified digital badges. You can learn more about my experience and perspectives on Design Thinking in this article.
After design thinking, my second secret weapon to create authentic and valuable content is ethnographic research. I explained it in a story.
If you are a new writer, author, or blogger, you may check out some of my guiding stories from the attached list.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
If you are a freelance writer, you may check out my thoughts on creative non-fiction writing. Do you want to write content to generate steady income? Do you want your stories to be boosted? Do you want to grow your audience and build your mailing lists? If you have writer’s block, check this out. If you feel stressed and are facing burnout, here is guidance.
You may find more optimistic and empowering stories like these on EUPHORIA, where I share my insights and life lessons. My focus is on cellular, mitochondrial, metabolic, and mental health + JOY. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
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